Friday, February 27, 2009

This is just a tiny portion of the "stimulus" bill recently ramrodded through Congress (emphasis mine):

SEC. 3002. POLICY COMMITTEE.(a) Establishment. - There is established a HIT Policy Committee to make policy recommendations to the National Coordinator relating to the implementation of a nationwide health information technology infrastructure, including implementation of the strategic plan described in section 3001(c)(3).(b) DUTIES.(1) RECOMMENDATIONS ON HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE. - The HIT Policy Committee shall recommend a policy framework for the development and adoption of a nationwide health information technology infrastructure that permits the electronic exchange and use of health information as is consistent with the strategic plan under section 3001(c)(3) and that includes the recommendations under paragraph (2). The Committee shall update such recommendations and make new recommendations as appropriate.(2) SPECIFIC AREAS OF STANDARD DEVELOPMENT.(A) IN GENERAL. - The HIT Policy Committee shall recommend the areas in which standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria are needed for the electronic exchange and use of health information for purposes of adoption under section 3004 and shall recommend an order of priority for the development, harmonization, and recognition of such standards, specifications, and certification criteria among the areas so recommended. Such standards and implementation specifications shall include named standards, architectures, and software schemes for the authentication and security of individually identifiable health information and other information as needed to ensure the reproducible development of common solutions across disparate entities.(B) AREAS REQUIRED FOR CONSIDERATION. - For purposes of subparagraph (A), the HIT Policy Committee shall make recommendations for at least the following areas:(i) Technologies that protect the privacy of health information and promote security in a qualified electronic health record, including for the segmentation and protection from disclosure of specific and sensitive individually identifiable health information with the goal of minimizing the reluctance of patients to seek care (or disclose information about a condition) because of privacy concerns, in accordance with applicable law, and for the use and disclosure of limited data sets of such information.(ii) A nationwide health information technology infrastructure that allows for the electronic use and accurate exchange of health information.(iii) The utilization of a certified electronic health record for each person in the United States by 2014.(iv) Technologies that as a part of a qualified electronic health record allow for an accounting of disclosures made by a covered entity (as defined for purposes of regulations promulgated under section 264(c) of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) for purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (as such terms are defined for purposes of such regulations).(v) The use of certified electronic health records to improve the quality of health care, such as by promoting the coordination of health care and improving continuity of health care among health care providers, by reducing medical errors, by improving population health, by reducing health disparities, by reducing chronic disease, and by advancing research and education.(vi) Technologies that allow individually identifiable health information to be rendered unusable, unreadable, or indecipherable to unauthorized individuals when such information is transmitted in the nationwide health information network or physically transported outside of the secured, physical perimeter of a health care provider, health plan, or health care clearinghouse.(vii) The use of electronic systems to ensure the comprehensive collection of patient demographic data, including, at a minimum, race, ethnicity, primary language, and gender information.(viii) Technologies that address the needs of children and other vulnerable populations.(C) OTHER AREAS FOR CONSIDERATION. - In making recommendations under subparagraph (A), the HIT Policy Committee may consider the following additional areas:(i) The appropriate uses of a nationwide health information infrastructure, including for purposes of:(I) the collection of quality data and public reporting;(II) biosurveillance and public health;(III) medical and clinical research; and(IV) drug safety.(ii) Self-service technologies that facilitate the use and exchange of patient information and reduce wait times.(iii) Telemedicine technologies, in order to reduce travel requirements for patients in remote areas.(iv) Technologies that facilitate home health care and the monitoring of patients recuperating at home.(v) Technologies that help reduce medical errors.(vi) Technologies that facilitate the continuity of care among health settings.(vii) Technologies that meet the needs of diverse populations.(viii) Methods to facilitate secure access by an individual to such individual's protected health information.(ix) Methods, guidelines, and safeguards to facilitate secure access to patient information by a family member, caregiver, or guardian acting on behalf of a patient due to age-related and other disability, cognitive impairment, or dementia.(x) Any other technology that the HIT Policy Committee finds to be among the technologies with the greatest potential to improve the quality and efficiency of health care.

Followed in short order by the following section:

SEC. 3012. HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION ASSISTANCE.(h) CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT. The Secretary shall annually evaluate the activities conducted under this section and shall, in awarding grants under this section, implement the lessons learned from such evaluation in a manner so that awards made subsequent to each such evaluation are made in a manner that, in the determination of the Secretary, will lead towards the greatest improvement in quality of care, decrease in costs, and the most effective authorized and secure electronic exchange of health information.

* * * * *

Potential for abuse of personal information (including health, identity, and financial information) aside, what exactly does collection of data at minimum including one's race, ethnicity, gender, and primary language have to do with "stimulating the economy"? Reading through the expansive verbiage of the bill, one repeatedly sees "within 2 years" or "within 24 months" - so what exactly does this have to do with the economic crisis NOW and the need to stimulate the economy NOW?

Having scanned through this monstrosity, for the life of me, I cannot figure out HOW this can be trumpeted as a "stimulus" bill; nor can I figure out how "President" Obama can stand there and tell us to our faces it has NO earmarks - another bald-faced lie (similar to those scattered along the campaign trail), expected to be lapped up like milk and honey by the masses of idiots who voted for only for "hope" and "change" and force-fed to the rest of us by default, because, as he loves to remind us, "I won."

Ramrodded through both houses of Congress, babbling after the fact "I see problems but the Senate will fix it" or "Why the rush?" while voting to press it through, "President" Obama standing at the forefront telling us we're in a crisis and we need this bill, even if "It's not perfect, but no bill ever is".... So WHY are we paying them (and paying FOR them) to create bills that are consistently "not perfect," proven again and again in an historical context to do more harm than good?

On the heels of the last supposed "stimulus" that was foisted onto a public voicing strong objections to Congress - JUST SAY NO - rammed through last fall with NO regard to those objections, this current "stimulus" (also denounced loudly by nearly half the population).... what is happening in Washington is, again, WORSE than taxation without representation: We are electing these fools (maybe, or maybe not, considering the Franken case) but they are NOT representing our best interests and are deliberately ignoring the wishes of their constituents: You and me, VOTERS, TAXPAYERS, CITIZENS of the United States. Yet another core value of the Constitution gutted and left for dead, the guarantee to us of a republican form of government.

I had not the intestinal fortitude to watch his "press conference," but I am unable to fathom how the "leader" of this nation could say something as asinine as "nurses cannot even read the doctor's handwriting" as justification for monitoring not only our PHI but the type of care we receive as a patient - decided by a bureaucracy rather than the men and women who dedicated years of their lives to learning about medicine, anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology. Mark the demise of the sanctity of the patient/physician relationship.

Seriously? I thought he was a smart guy, but now I reconsider that notion in any way, shape, or form. Handwriting has little to do with medical records in this day and age; an entire industry of medical transcriptionists is being obliterated with the FORCED implementation of EMR. We have nothing to transcribe, since it is done at POS by the nurse and physician (in the physician office setting). Hospital records are generated by dictation and transcription - no handwriting is involved (even signatures are now electronic). Orders are phoned in by the physician and recorded BY THE NURSES, to be signed later (electronically). The only time you see a doctor's handwriting anymore is on a prescription - and most physicians are moving to generating printed prescriptions with electronic signatures.

Talk about disconnected and out of touch with reality. Unless, more likely, this nonsense talk about handwriting is more smoke and mirrors to distract us while more of our rights are usurped.

This would open up our PHI and our medical history to abuse not only by the government but by hackers infiltrating the system to steal that information. How can the Congress even consider such a notion, after the passage of HIPAA and the complications resulting from that, regardless of the more "secure" methods of handling PHI? After all, HIPAA is about the protection of PHI/confidentiality with severe sanctions imposed for noncompliance.

This is the ultimate violation of our privacy, with individuals not involved in our care and treatment having unlimited access to every aspect of our lives (there is a lot more than just health information contained in a medical record, you had better believe), placing restrictions on care in the interests of money rather than the individual or the "general welfare," (can you say GOODBYE to the 14th Amendment), violating the patient/physician relationship and deliberately impeding the EXPLICIT CONTRACT between physician and patient (we contract for services and he is reimbursed accordingly - violation of the contract clause, Article I, Section 10).

It is absolutely amazing - and deeply disturbing - that we are in such a position in this nation, our rights and liberties and now even our very lives being controlled and manipulated by an out-of-control government. Perhaps Barry was right, we really DO need to create a new Declaration of Independence: It is our right and our DUTY to abolish a government that is destructive toward the ends of securing our inalienable rights - rights endowed upon us by our Creator, NOT by an institution that is so corrupt the necrosis is showing through.

I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents. -- James Madison (As he disapproved of an attempt to appropriate $15,000 for French refugees. 4 Annals of Congress 179 [1794]).

Forever a fascinating subject, perhaps even more so now that Barry and his congressional thugs have strong-armed us with the single largest Porkulus package in US history, I have added a Debt Clock to my site. Currently, our national debt is nearly $11 trillion - or so we are told by the Bureau of Public Debt.

What often happens when a company "cooks the books" is that sometimes things can.... "disappear," making the company's financial position appear stronger than it truly is. This makes the company appear sound, to keep investors' money flowing into the business and keep the doors open. The alternative, obviously, is failure and closure of the business.

Much like bankers and brokers (with the help of friends like Barney, Gregory, and Maxine) disguised the reality of the housing bubble (AKA mortgage crisis) through "leverage," the federal government of the United States disguises the reality of the public debt by striking certain items from the balance sheet. Items known as "unfunded liabilities" are not included in the $11 trillion total. They are, however, liabilities (a debt that must be paid) listed in the budget by the federal government as mandatory expenditures - to be paid by the taxpayer.

In a nutshell, here is how it works: Medicare and Social Security are pay-as-you-go systems. The workers of today pay taxes into these programs and benefits are dispersed to the preceding generation. Simplistically put, our parents paid their parents' way, we pay our parents' way, down the road our children will pay our way, and so on. To give the appearance of being a "dedicated" social insurance program, these tax revenues are listed under the "Social Security Trust Fund." (I highly recommend following this link, as there is additional information crucial to this discussion and the falsehoods underlying this supposed "trust fund," as below.) Unfortunately, this "trust fund" is only that - an appearance:

There is no cash in the Social Security trust fund, and there never has been any.

Unfunded liabilities come into play when more money is projected to be dispersed through the program than is collected via tax revenues. We hear about the baby boomer generation pushing Social Security/Medicare to the breaking point and threatening to bankrupt the program - because there are more of them (the retiring generation) than there are of us (the working and, hence, paying generation). In 2008, budgeted expenditures for Social Security were $612 billion and Medicare $386 billion; Social Security payroll taxes were $658 billion and Medicare payroll taxes $194 billion. We are already closing in on elimination of the trust fund "surplus" and in less than a decade will be operating at a deficit; Medicare has already surpassed that point.

The fact that more money will go out than comes in is irrelevant; a contract has been created between the federal government and We The People, guaranteeing payment for our needs under this program based upon our payment into the system through a lifetime of work. Taking the money then not paying would be frank breach of contract by the Federal Government. This cannot be solved merely by increasing Social Security/Medicare taxes; doing so would only generate further liability and increase the marginal tax rate laid only upon those citizens who work.

As of May 2008, unfunded liabilities related to Medicare and Social Security (the amount of money that MUST be paid based upon the tax revenues collected to date) totaled approximately $99 trillion. That would be on top ofthe $11 trillion you see in the debt clock.

Who can even conceptualize what a quadrillion is?

By creatively restating its financial position in this manner, the federal government is able to instill "confidence" in the economy and in our social welfare system. After all, how quickly would the flood of angry mail begin flowing into and overwhelming Congressional offices if the public knew:

We have, in reality (hidden in plain sight), a QUADRILLION DOLLAR deficit rather than merely an $11 trillion deficit.

We pay 15.3% of our income (directly paid in full by those who are self-employed and half of which is paid as part of our income by employers for everyone else who works) for a Social Security/Medicare program that will never - as in NEVER EVER - be able to cover what has been promised in return for that payment - made in good faith - when we could earn multitudes more by investing that same 15.3% in a 401(k) or other investment vehicle.

We have a Congress and President hell-bent on spending as much as possible as quickly as possible for programs we do not need with money we do not have - covertly packing more useless spending into bills with awe-inspiring and hope-raising names like "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act" and overtly packing more useless spending into bills the public has loudly reiterated to their "representatives" in Congress they want neither created nor passed.

Flying in the face of all that a republican democracy such as ours represents ideologically - this is worse than taxation without representation - it is the epitome of tyranny, and almost all of it is unconstitutional as defined and directed by the Constitution itself. In essence, the Constitution allows for the Congress to lay and collect taxes and make expenditures for the defense and safety of the Union - and little more. Everything else falls under States' rights and the federal government has no business meddling. That includes programs like Medicare and Social Security, Medicaid, Housing and Urban Development, education, "energy" policy, health care, and basically everything else that has been corrupted with federal-level interference.

What often happens when a government "cooks the books" is that sometimes things can.... "disappear," making the government's financial position appear stronger than it truly is. This makes the government appear sound, to keep taxpayers' money flowing into the coffers and keep Washington, DC, in business and keep the executive, legislative, and judicial branches operating. The alternative, obviously, is failure and restructuring of the government.

In yet another instance of left-wing double-standard aggrandizing (of course, NOT covered by the Obama-worshiping MSM), we learn that Michelle Obama has been accepting "fashion freebies" (naturally, dismissed by her spokesperson as "loans" from designers and/or items that will be donated at a later time - with no mention of "when," exactly, the items might be returned and/or donated and, therefore, no longer having the use of said items): (Emphasis mine)

The items Obama has either borrowed or received free have included a $17,313 pair of Loree Rodkin diamond earrings and clothes and gowns worth $1,000 to $6,000. In some cases, Michelle Obama's representatives have said she will donate the items to the Smithsonian. {In "some cases"? What about the "other cases"?}

That makes no difference, Rampell says.

If somebody gives her a dress and it's worth $6,000, and she's not expected to return it, then she has $6,000 worth of income, or she's received a $6,000 gift, he says. I'm sure that the company is deducting the cost of that dress, the cost of manufacturing, the design, the materials and all that other stuff. And then when she gives it away to the charity, then she gets a charitable contribution for it.

While some articles in the press have reported that the clothes or jewelry were given to her free of charge or lent to her, none has criticized Obama or compared her practices with Nancy Reagan's. Instead, the articles have swooned over her fashion sense.

And it takes little imagination to remember the ridicule and remarks like "Palin is a spoiled brat" (well covered in thousands of MSM articles and blog postings for months) when the Republican Party spent $150,000 on Sarah Palin's campaign wardrobe (incidentally, ALSO donated to charity - but that fact is of little relevance).

Neither of these ladies is Michelle Obama, of course.

Nor are they Democratic harpies feeding off the soul of the American people.

Clark County, especially the Hazel Dell neighborhood I reside in, was shocked to wake up Sunday morning, February 22 and hear of the brutal murder of 13 year-old Alycia Nipp, allegedly at the hands of convicted level III sex offender Darrin Eugene Sanford, who has since confessed to the brutal murder, the GPS tracking device on his ankle placing him the vicinity of the crime at the time of the crime.

I do not know either family personally, but live nearby and drive by the home where young Alycia lives and the field her murdered body was discovered in almost daily on my way to work. That makes this senseless murder of a young innocent person more personal to me.

What disturbs me the most about this is hearing that other “transient” sex offenders freely roam the neighborhood and sleep in some of the boarded up, abandoned and condemned homes in the neighborhood, presumably also wearing Court mandated GPS ankle tracking devices, as was Sanford.

Three years ago, a law was being considered across America and passed by many states. Jessica’s Law, named after Jessica Lunsford, another young girl murdered by a sex offender in Florida. At the time I said the proposed law was a step in the right direction, but did not go far enough.

Wearing an ankle bracelet, even a GPS tracking device, accomplishes little, other than placing a criminal at the scene, after the crime has been committed. In this case, a young girl lost her life because a known sex offender was allowed to roam her neighborhood, while someone somewhere else may be watching the whereabouts of the offender, delayed by satellite and having no idea what that person was doing at the moment.

A victim is dead before the authorities even know a crime has been committed and the best that can be done is to link a criminal to the crime by placing them in the vicinity at the time of the crime.

But, an innocent 13 year-old girl is still dead!

A trial must be and will be held, undoubtedly with some slip and fall attorney looking for a reason to free the accused. GPS records most likely will be challenged and a grieving family will be forced to face the possibility of their child’s murderer going free again.

If the evidence is strong that may not happen, but who knows in today’s world.

Already, news reporters are pointing out that Sanford was an “abused child.” So What? Many are abused. And I mean real abuse and do not head down the road of predator and sex crimes, abducting and killing our children.

I agree with Alycia’s aunt, Amber Hager who said.

“I want to see him sentenced to death, honestly. I think, he took a life and for that he deserves to give a life, his life.”

It’s too late to save Alycia, sadly, but we need to learn from this. Predators like Sanford do not belong on the streets, roaming about neighborhoods where children live. Our children are worth much more than these cretins who threw their lives away by acting on impulses instead of seeking help from medical people or clergy or anybody who can tell them how wrong they are.

As far as I’m concerned, level III sex offenders, those who will most likely strike again, should never be released back into society. Yes, it is expensive to house them, too expensive in fact. They do not deserve the care we would provide them for life.

Devil’s Island comes to my mind, a desolate place they could be placed and kept away from societies children. Give them seeds, farm implements and a one-way boat ride. Ship them water occasionally if the Island has none, but otherwise, they receive no contact with others who choose not to contact them.

More controversial is swiftly carrying out the death penalty on those who kill. There is no reason that one who is convicted beyond any shadow of doubt should remain in prison awaiting death for 20 to 25 years, while slip and fall attorneys try every legal maneuver they can dream up to free them or “spare their life.”

Bleeding hearts will say that killing predators will not deter others. That is an arguable claim with both sides giving supportive evidence.

But, one fact is certain. Executing them prevents any possibility of some slick attorney gaining their freedom one day and another 13 year-old being beaten and stabbed to death in an empty field!

Our children deserve better than to be preyed upon by these predators that bleeding hearts feel such sorrow for.

My heart breaks for Alycia’s family. I feel anguish for Sanford’s family. There is no guilt in any of this crime except for the one who preyed on an innocent 13 year-old and left her to die after beating and stabbing her in that field.

That person should forfeit his own life.

Society must do better than to strap a GPS tracking device on predatory criminals. Our children deserve to be able to go outside without fear and be allowed to grow into adults without being randomly attacked.

Alycia Nipp Did Not Have To Die. Society failed to protect her and we must do better.

UPDATE: Visit Congress.org and on the left is a block where you can enter your zip code and be given email access to all of your Representatives, State and Local. Contact them and demand they take action to deal stronger with these vermin. If they are not willing to, we must vote them out next election! Our children deserve protection!

Friday, February 20, 2009

As many know I was absent from the United States for a period of 5 years while I was stationed overseas in the U.S. Army from 1969 to 1974. Upon my return in March 1974, I was amazed at how the country had changed and the attitude shown against then President, Richard M. Nixon.

Assigned to Ft. Bragg in North Carolina, country music was gaining in popularity at the time and political discourse was making it way into that music venue, as it had earlier in rock music.

One popular song that was still on the radio was Tom T. Hall’s, “The Monkey That Became President,” released in 1972 originally. Tom T. Hall is a songwriter, storyteller and to some, a philosopher. His tunes are catchy and enjoyable.

At the time this song was popular, I took it as a slap against politicians in general, given the vitriol coming out of Washington D.C. between the major party’s and continuing to today. I assume Hall was a Democrat as I attended a live concert of his in Fayetteville, N.C. that turned out to be a fundraiser for then candidate, Jimmy Carter. But, the song seemed to me to point at politicians in general.

Over the years I totally forgot this cute little song.

As we have now elected our first Affirmative Action President, Barack Obama and he has been inaugurated and began instituting his agenda upon us and given the recent flap about the NY Post cartoon, depicting a chimpanzee being shot by Police and how some opportunists are trying desperately to link that to racism against Obama, the song flooded back into my memory.

Who could have known that a simple song from 1972 would be so prophetic about 2009?

You might think so after what happened to an Oklahoma City man. Chip Harrison was minding his own business, but displayed a sign on his truck reading, "Abort Obama, Not the Unborn."

Harrison was pulled over by the OKC Police for displaying that sign, the officer saying he felt it was a "threat" against Obama. Although his supervisors admitted it wasn't a threat and returned the sign, the Secret Service was contacted, who felt the need for a "walk through" of Harrison's home to "make sure I wasn't a part of any hate groups."

Thursday, February 19, 2009

No more, and no less. Just, the stock market crashed. Herein lies the failing of the education system in this nation: Providing only a partial (or entirely incorrect) explanation of the reality.

The 1929 crash was not a cause but an effect of sloppy economic, monetary and fiscal policy - leading first to the crash then to the Depression.

Many seem to be under the impression that money just "disappeared" during the Depression. Like all the money that had been so freely flowing throughout the Roaring Twenties.... was mysteriously sucked up into some big black hole. This, of course, is impossible - since most of it never existed in the first place.

Since 1913 with the signing of the Federal Reserve Act, most of our "money" has been an illusion. When our currency was removed from the gold and silver standards, leaving it backed by NOTHING, this became true of ALL "money." A figment of an overactive imagination. Created out of thin air and only "real" insofar as the perceived reality imposed upon it by the Federal Reserve. A "purchase" of US Treasury securities for the intangible future generation of wealth.

The Federal Reserve trades NOW against the wealth that you and I (and our children and grandchildren) are EXPECTED to earn at some point in the future. This wealth does not exist - YET - but is being sold, regardless. This is the miracle of "credit" in a fiat banking system.

In the time leading up to the stock market crash of 1929, investors could make huge profits by buying on margin or short selling stocks - speculation. This involved massive amounts of credit being extended to buyers (both by banks and by brokers, in return for a fee on the resale of that stock). Over time, "bubbles" were created, in which the value of the commodity being traded became overvalued. Eventually, the bubble "popped." Loans were called, borrowers were unable to cover their losses, depositors demanded their holdings be returned, and eventually the entire system collapsed.

A credit crisis.

Credit was extended based on money created out of thin air - unable to be repaid - with the resulting contraction of the money supply to realistic levels (essentially, how much money there actually IS as opposed to how much money the Money Fairy made us believe existed after sprinkling around some Magic Fairy Dust).

We begin to sink deeper into trouble when greed allows manipulation of fractional reserve banking and lending institutions overextending credit to riskier and riskier clients, inflation of the money supply, devaluation of the currency, rounded off by a government (who has allowed a monopoly to be held on the money supply by The Fed - those same private banks glutting themselves at the trough o' plenty) to suspend payment to depositors.

Allowing the bank to NOT return to the depositor that money he placed in the bank (either for safe-keeping or to grow an investment through interest) in good faith.

Is any of this sounding familiar? We again face a credit crisis, but once again it is not the crisis our federal government would have us believe it to be. The crisis lies in the corruption of power at the highest levels of government and in the private banking industry - that same banking industry that holds the reins on the money supply and, in turn, the reins on Congress and ultimately each and every citizen of the United States.

We keep hearing there is no "painless" way out of this crisis. We keep hearing that we must spend more to dig our way out of the hole that we now find ourselves in - the hole our government set us to digging at our own expense (shovels furiously flying during the New Deal era) then pushed us into unceremoniously - while ordering us to pull the dirt in behind us. Since when did that scheme ever work, to borrow MORE money to pay off what you already owe and are unable to pay back?

I have a solution; to be sure, it is not painless but far less devastating than the beeline over a cliff we are now headed over at Mach 5. No one would want to hear it, though, much less implement it, because no one really wants to feel the pain - like going to the dentist to have a tooth pulled without some anesthetic.

After decades of pump priming by personalities like Bryant Gumbel and particularly Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton spewing racially divisive commentary, it is little wonder that the verbal and emotional assault on the morality of an entire race of people - specifically, white people - continues today with Attorney General Eric Holder calling us a nation of cowards, afraid to discuss race.

Could there be a reason for that fear?

Perhaps we could start with the efforts of one Al Sharpton heading a rally today outside the New York Post offices for a political cartoon automatically decried as "racist" because the monkey (the DEAD monkey, no less) was shot by police and now The Hill needs to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill.

Of course it is racist! It is also a death threat against Barack Obama! Why? Because the man is (half) black and you just don't associate blacks and monkeys in any way because.... well.... it's racist. Fine. I can deal with not associating black people and monkeys (it is disgusting, after all, and utterly demeaning); but I cannot deal with finding "racism" in every shadow, every corner, every nook and cranny and the manufactured outrage at perceived racism where none exists.

This is no more an attack on Barack Obama as a black man than it is a threat against his life. First of all, Barack did not write the "stimulus" bill - that would be the "monkey-see, monkey-do" idiocy of Pelosi, Reid, et al. He made the unfortunate error of "delegating" authorship of this atrocity to the morons running Congress. This cartoon makes "sideways" reference to how poorly masked was the stampede to rush it past the unsuspecting public that ultimately we will discover we would have been better off had it been written by a monkey. It is an absolute reference to Travis, the (drugged-up) monkey shot by police after mauling a lady earlier this week. Had this week's news carried headlines about a (drugged-up) dog mauling a lady, the picture would have depicted police shooting a mad dog, likely bearing the same caption (thanks to the mad-dog politics running rampant in the cesspool of Washington).

The most shameful and appalling aspect of this fiasco is having to face the fact that we will never be a "post-racial" society. There is a certain element that will never allow us to move to that point - and it starts with folks like Jesse and Al, indoctrinating people into thinking they must suffer a victimization complex - or they will never truly be African-American.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Due to decreasing revenues, several states with Blue Laws are considering relaxing restrictions they have on alcohol sales in hopes of increasing sales to raise revenues while others are considering raising taxes on booze.

Many of these same states passed smoking bans on bars and restaurants “to protect employees from second hand smoke.”

Increased alcohol consumption undoubtedly will result in more drunk drivers on the road, no?

Saturday, February 14, 2009

The current myth of America finally coming together since Barack Obama was elected is just that, a myth. America remains as divided as ever, even more so as the leftists who promoted him continue to vilify those not of their party, Republicans.

It matters not if they are of a minority or even have ancestral roots back to another country; Republicans have been painted as the worst sort of human being walking the earth by the leftists who now control America.

Currently the focus of this hatred has shifted somewhat from President George W. Bush, now in retirement, to talk radio icon, Rush Limbaugh, as Barack Obama targets Rush as the one who rules the Republican Party. He was quoted as telling Republican party leaders recently, “You can’t just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done.”

Any one who ever listens to Rush’s show knows that the party leaders obviously do not listen to Rush and most often act the opposite of what he discusses.

In all that is but a minor act when looking at the overall hatred of Republicans coming out of the leftists today.

I predicted on these very pages that fringe leftists would stand before the inaugural stage with their “hurry and Impeach Now, before it’s too late” signs as the new occupant of the Oval Office would be inaugurated. I was only slightly off as the movement transformed from impeach to ArrestBush2009, complete with a planned Bash a Bush Piñata party to celebrate his final day in office.

Showing no class at all, many assembled to witness the inauguration of Barack Obama booed President Bush as he walked out to turn over power peacefully to Obama. No record of Obama admonishing his followers over such lack of respect.

International media could not refrain from taking parting shots at President Bush as they published One Last Swipe At Bushand American conservatism, even as many of their countries are beginning to embrace it themselves.

Not willing to let hate go to waste, the ImpeachBush.org site has transformed itself to IndictBushNow.org, demanding indictment and war crimes trials over various claims, but not listing a single actual law broken.

Unbelievably, several members of the Republican Party either joined in with the vitriol against the president, or remained silent to it all, many distancing themselves from the man whose main crime appears to be keeping the American people safe after the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001.

This hate spilled over in the election and after as Alaska’s governor, Sarah Palin, the VP candidate, became the target of some of the most hateful lies and vitriol thrown against any woman and her family I have seen in my life time.

Yet, in a comment addressing their use of such hateful words, this same author states, “Just because I refuse to villify a group of people doesn’t make me a bad person.”

Yet, vilifying Republicans as she did does what, make her a “good person?”

Not content with now holding complete and total dictatorial power over America, the left is now pushing to re-impose what they laughingly call the Fairness Doctrine, a blatant attempt at shutting down dissent and denying conservatives and Republicans our first amendment right to free speech.

Again, their prime target is talk radio’s number one, Rush Limbaugh. That the left has a lock box on the print and broadcast media matters not, they have not been able to make it in talk radio, so they figure on shutting it down by re-imposing the Fairness Doctrine, which is anything but.

To this end, one left-winged start-up in talk radio recently took on Rush over his saying he hoped Obama’s Socialist agenda failed. To he left, wanting any failure now is treasonous; even though they spent the last 8 years doing and saying everything they could to ensure the failure of Republicans and President Bush and undermining our Brave Troops fighting terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It was just on February 10 that Mike Malloy, another hate filled leftist in liberal radio that proclaimed,

“They’re worse than useless. These are terrorists. These are domestic terrorists. They want the country to fail, for God’s sake. They want exactly what anyone who attacked this country on September 11, 2001 wanted. The real internal terrorists are the Republicans, I mean, isn’t that clear? Rush Limbaugh is a bigger threat to this country than Osama bin Laden. He's a bigger threat than anybody that the CIA can invent. He’s a bigger threat than any terrorist that ever leveled its sights against the United States, Limbaugh is, so why isn’t he arrested and sentenced for treason?”

Playing off of this hate filled rhetoric, we find others from the looney left on Demokratik Underground Message Board adding their hatred of Republicans with comments of,

“They serve no useful purpose. There’s no reasoning with them. They’ll gladly destroy the country if they think it will return them to power. May they all rot in pieces. I hate to say I hate anyone, but I hate them all,” “The psychological terror of Republican World would be inhuman,” “This is a party of torturers, war criminals, corporate crooks, and all around ass holes. They should be treated like the criminals they are,” “they’re venal, fearful, judgmental, heartless, spineless, brainwashed, hypocritical fucking, bloody hypocrites,” “Down with all opposition and dissent!!” “I want to beat that party into a bloody pulp and then incinerate the remains,” “If the rethugs don't have the sense to shut up and go away,if they keep that selfish bullshit going,the people who already hate the psychopath party won't tolerate the robber baron, fundie cultie bully loudmouth ,ignorant assholes on the right much longer. And if they go too far one day it will become open season on bigots,” “Kill them, kill them all,” “Eliminated with extreme prejudice. By any means necessary” and “they are our enemy combatants!!! We need to place them on a shelf, they have never been for the people or for the country their record shows their insane tactics over and over again.”

Funny how a Demokrat can say Republicans “have never been for the people or for the country,” when it was due to the work of mainly the Republican Party that ended slavery and brought in Civil Rights as Southern Demokrats fought it tooth and nail.

How is it Republicans that push for control when it is the Demokrats that want to censor and deny free speech to Republicans?

While posters on the Demokratik Underground Message Board are of no doubt the fringe far left, the Demokrat Party listens to them and other lunatic leftist sites. The loons have a say in our country and cry they are oppressed, when by their own words they wish to oppress others.

This is the state of our country today after the well-planned and orchestrated Dictatorial Socialist Demokratik Politburo seizure of the country by demonizing and targeting Republicans with such hate filled rhetoric since they lost power in 1994. Spineless Republicans sat back and made excuses and even joined in at times, trying to out liberal these liberals instead of standing up for America.

This is what we have come to. We must continue to fight these neo-coms and their hate filled agenda of rebuilding the Soviet Union with all of its repression of the citizenry. The freedom of America is at stake for our offspring and must be preserved.

We must now draw our line in the sand and oppose these kooks while we still have a country left. We have to take a stand and oppose this Socialist takeover of America and marginalize any who support this Socialism.

The so-called “tolerant left” are the most intolerant of all people today and must be exposed and opposed every step of the way.

After successfully plunging the next 5 generations of America deeply into unprecedented debt with the first round of his “stimulus” plan, B HO now schedules a “fiscal-responsibility summit” for February 23 “crafted to put pressure on politicians to address the country's surging long-term debt crisis.”

“I think (doing) nothing would have been better,” “It's unfocused... It is a lot of money for a lot of nickel-and- dime programs,” “They are actually providing less short-term stimulus by cutting back… some of the tax credits,” “All this is 25 years of government expansion jammed into one bill and sold as stimulus” and “If the choice is between the current bill and an improved bill, I would say wait and improve the bill.”

Yet, Obama strong-armed this massive Socialist Bill through, to the point of providing a private government aircraft and crew to fly one Democrat back and forth from Ohio to cast his vote, at an unannounced cost to taxpayers.

Bear in mind, these are the same Demokrats who just recently were criticizing CEO’s from the Auto Industry and Wall Street for their use of private corporate jets. Also, realize this amounts to the Executive Branch jetting a member of the Legislative Branch to do the Executive Branch’s bidding.

Is that not a violation of the Separation of Powers in government?

And still, even with the “Rush to Vote and bankrupt,” this is but the first step proposed by the amateur occupying the Oval Office as the ink hasn’t even dried on the passage of this and already, yet another “stimulus” is in the plans!

And soon, we are to fawn over Obama because he will convene a “fiscal-responsibility summit” in a couple weeks?

Demokrat House Appropriations Chairman, David Obey labeled this massive spending bill as “the largest change in domestic policy since the 1930s.” Forgotten and ignored is that the “fix” given the nation by the Demokrats and father of America’s Socialist movement, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, prolonged and deepened the Great Depression until the advent of World War Two finally pulled us out of that.

Then again, B HO and the Demokrats were elected on promises of “openness and transparency,” yet rushed this massive bill through before Senators and Representatives could read it or before it could even have a minimal amount of public scrutiny. In short, THEY LIED!

Sadly, Demokrats were joined by three turncoat Republicans, Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, all 3 of which should be purged from the Republican Party and handed over to the Socialist Demokrats who they side with all too often.

Even Russian Prime Minister, Vladamir Putin has warned these power crazed Demokrats,

“Excessive intervention in economic activity and blind faith in the state's omnipotence is another possible mistake,” adding, “the Soviet Union made the state's role absolute. In the long run, this made the Soviet economy totally uncompetitive. This lesson cost us dearly. I am sure nobody wants to see it repeated.”

“Nor should we turn a blind eye to the fact that the spirit of free enterprise, including the principle of personal responsibility of business people, investors and shareholders for their decisions, is being eroded in the last few months. There is no reason to believe that we can achieve better results by shifting responsibility onto the state.”

As a former KGB agent, Putin is well versed in Communism and can see the fallacy of the system that brought about the fall of the Soviet Union and Demokrats current rush towards it.

As 2010 rolls around and provided we are still able to hold free elections, remember just who it was that sold America into the deep Socialism and who refrained from jumping off the deep end. As stated by Columnist Debra Saunders,

“Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were taking potshots at President George W. Bush for supporting deficit spending. Now that they're in power, they're spending money at record speed that Washington doesn't have. And they're still blaming the Republicans.”

This debt will last a very long time and may never be paid off. Thank Barack Obama and his Demokratik minions for killing the American dream for many generations to come.

Friday, February 13, 2009

America was sold out today by the Dictatorial Socialist Demokratik Politburo who blindly voted for the massive Porkulus Bill. Obama and Dem leaders LIED to America about transparency and openess then shove this massive spending bill down our throats when not one person who voted for it could even know what is in it!

As we face the enslavement of future generations under the ill-conceived Obama Stimulus Plan, some 8 inches thick and well over one thousand pages not made public nor made available for review prior to voting it in, I call on all Republicans, conservatives and honest hearted Americans, especially those in elected office and at party leadership, to ostracize, turn your backs on and expel any Republican voting for this neo-com Porkulus plan.

Michael Steele, you of all people, sitting at the head of our party, must publicly condemn Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins for supporting this bill and add any others who indicate or have supported this "Rush to Communism."

As the Dictatorial Socialist Demokratik Politburo rushes us towards financial enslavement we can no longer sit back and play along with the left pretending to be friends. The left is not friends of America but is intent on destroying the America that grew to greatness and replace it with a mythical socialist mecca that has never existed, only in their deluded minds.

Stand up America. Oppose these leftists and RINO’s that feel they must play along to protect their office.

Our future is at stake and our grandchildren depend on us stopping this socialist take-over while we still can.

Sunday, February 08, 2009

At a recent GOP function, during a discussion on the Lincoln Day Dinner, a member made a wisecrack, a joke if you will, disparaging Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War, implying racism on his part.

The annual Lincoln Day Dinner is a big event for the Republican Party as Abraham Lincoln was the first Republican to be elected to the office of the President of the United States of America. In fact, other than elections, it is probably the most major event for members of the party.

The wisecrack came, after the announcement that an Abraham Lincoln impersonator would be the keynote speaker at the dinner; Jefferson Davis could be the Democrats keynote speaker.

As we all know from High School History, Lincoln was the President during the American Civil War for the union side, Jefferson Davis for the breakaway Southern Confederacy. Lincoln is credited with ending slavery, while Davis is often accused of desiring to perpetuate slavery in the South.

Without going into major detail, let’s just say history hasn’t been exactly accurate for either figure, Lincoln and Davis both being victims of their time, with the latter credited by many with the “adoption” of a young Black (mulatto) child during the Civil War.

As I said, both figures are complex men with history not always as accurate as we would prefer today. I am of the opinion that neither man would fit well with today’s political climate, but fit in their own times.

Little known to many is that by birth and heritage, I am a Southern Conservative who can be proud of my heritage while admitting that the institution of slavery in our past was wrong and a blight. Unlike many of my Northern brethren, I can also point out that bigotry and slavery wasn’t a Southern only institution, Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation outlawing slavery only in the Southern States while leaving Northern States and those conquered by Union Troops untouched, slavery in those states not being abolished until some months after the end of the war and Lincoln’s assassination with the ratification of the 13th Amendment in December 1865.

Understandably, Southerners, much like other people, do not appreciate wisecracks about our heritage, especially when based upon skewed historical views. Not wanting to cause a scene, I let the comment slide then, even though it was later repeated, again in jest I assume.

Most Southerners are Conservative by nature. We were Conservative Democrats at one time and left that party over their embracing Liberalism. Due to the late 1940’s and early 1950’s misguided move of some to form the Dixiecrat Party, today’s Democrats use that to claim Southern Conservatives fled their party to form a new anti-Civil Rights party in the Republicans.

Untrue as most of those died Democrats, while many of us younger Southerners saw the racism of the Democrats, became disillusioned with racism and became Republicans, Democrats just changing how they oppress Black Americans.

As said, we mostly are Conservatives. We accept the wrongfulness of that portion of our heritage, but do not like our heritage being misrepresented or ridiculed. We have a long and proud history in regards to serving America, even chuckling along with you at times as you label us “Rednecks and Hillbillies.”

The Republican Party is splintered at this time and under new leadership, fighting for its soul, struggling to return to its Conservative Roots, if it is to be a viable party again. Alienating that base does not bode well for the party’s future in elections.

There are a good number of Southerners and those with Southern roots now residing in Washington State, as well as every other state. Many are Conservatives and share my views. There are even Black Americans spread out across America and in Washington State that hold pride in their Southern Heritage, acknowledging slavery for what it was long ago.

We need these people to win elections and while we may chuckle at “redneck jokes” with you, ridiculing Southerners historic figures, especially when that ridicule isn’t justified, goes against our grain and encourages us to question whether the GOP is genuinely Conservative after all.

Don’t fall into the long held notion that we Southerners are either ignorant or backwards, we are not. If Jefferson Davis were alive today I sincerely doubt he would have anything to do with the current Democrat Party, nor would Abraham Lincoln.

The Civil War ended some 145 years ago. If you truly desire Southerners to stop fighting it, perhaps Northerners need to also.

Friday, February 06, 2009

Diane McDaniels lost her son James in the terrorist bombing of the U.S.S Cole in October 2000. 17 American sailors died in that terrorist attack. Ms. McDaniels refused an invitation to the White House to meet with President Obama today.

My sympathies and condolences to the McDaniels family.

This lady has admitted she made a mistake. Like many others, she was mesmerized with a charlatan by the glowing biased coverage from our lamestream media.

She does not deserve to be scolded for her decision in November, as some are doing. Now is not the time for "I told you so's."

She is hurting and with the help of her and others like her, we can take America back, but not by throwing this in her face.

Obama has made a big mistake in withdrawing charges against terrorist suspect Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, being held in Guantánamo. Although it was actually the judge, Susan J. Crawford who withdrew the charges, that she followed B HO's desires is just too obvious.

One by one, those who supported Obama will wake up and realize their error. We need these people to set America right again and I for one welcome their help.

Thursday, February 05, 2009

As shown at Pat Dollards Young American Documentary, the New Hampshire State Legislature is living up to their state motto, "Live Free or Die."

The New Hampshire state legislature took an unbelievably bold step Monday by introducing a resolution to declare certain actions by the federal government to completely totally void and warning that certain future acts will be viewed as a “breach of peace” with the states themselves that risks “nullifying the Constitution.”

This act by New Hampshire is a clear warning to the federal government that they could face being stripped of their power by the States (presumably through civil war!

The remarkable document outlines with perfect clarity, some basics long forgotten. For instance, it reminds Congress “That the Constitution of the United States, having delegated to Congress a power to punish treason, counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States, piracies, and felonies committed on the high seas, and offences against the law of nations, slavery, and no other crimes whatsoever;. . . . . therefore all acts of Congress which assume to create, define, or punish crimes, other than those so enumerated in the Constitution are altogether void, and of no force;”

Will other freedom loving states join in by supporting New Hampshire and passing similar legislation themselves? Time can only tell. However, I certainly do hope that other states see how we are being striped of liberties and freedoms by the slow move towards Socialism and take a brave stand against the encroaching federal take over.

Arizona, Montana, Michigan, Missouri & Hawaii are following suit, with Hawaii claiming Independence as well. California and Georgia are said to also be drafting similar legislation soon if not already.

Washington States own Senior Senator, Patty Murray, tennis shoed lovable little mouse that she is, has joyfully announced how she and other Democrats have locked arms and decided to “stick it to the poor” people they claim to care about and want to help.

Of course that isn’t exactly what she says, but that is the obvious outcome of their strong support and passing of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, CHIP.

After all the bleeding heart fearmongering of children receiving no health care today and all the millions of dollars that will come to Washington State, Murray unwittingly reveals how their plan is going to hurt the very people they say they will help the most.

Murray announces,

“The $31.5 billion cost would be covered by a 61-cent per-pack tax increase on cigarettes and other tobacco products.”

Ah yes, the evil tobacco user ponies up again to pay for their vile habit. Democrats know that smoke-nazi nanny staters have effectively demonized tobacco and users to the point that the majority will not oppose any tax increases on those “despicable, evil, nasty, smelly good for nothing smokers.”

Just a couple of small problems in the Democrats desire to once again “stick it to the evil smoker.”

First, if they truly expect to continue funding this and other entitlement programs by tobacco taxes, is it wise to also encourage people to stop using tobacco? If they stop smoking and stop buying the product, where will those increased tax dollars to fund this program come from then?

If smoking bans continue to be added, more people will stop smoking and again, stop purchasing the product, thereby once again, decreasing the available funding for this Children’s Health Insurance Program.

But, that isn’t the main way Democrats will once again be pushing the poverty stricken deeper into poverty.

Until recently the American Heart Association had on their Smoking Statistics page the following;

“Studies show that smoking prevalence is higher among those who had earned a GED diploma (39.6 percent) and among those with 9-11 years of education (34.0 percent) compared with those with more than 16 years of education (8.0 percent). It's highest among persons living below the poverty level (29.1 percent).”

That’s right, it is the poorest among us, the very people Murray and fellow Democrats claim they must help by raising tobacco taxes, that will be primarily paying those taxes!

“Ironically, studies show that the percentage of people that are low income and smoke is greater than the percentage of people who are at a high income level. If you consider the cost of smoking this is ironic, but many researchers believe this directly relates to the level of education one has received. The percentage of individuals below the poverty level whom smoke is a staggering 29.9%.”

Again, it is confirmed that the very people who will pay the increased taxes to fund this program are the very people they say they will help. The increase in tax they will have to pay will decrease available money to use on their families elsewhere, such as nutritious food or decent housing and clothes.

I know, all they need do is stop smoking and they won’t have to pay that tax, right? Of course that is so. But again, when they stop smoking and stop buying cigarettes, where does the tax needed to fund CHIP come from then?

Of course, not spoken aloud is the distinct possibility that helping children of the poor is secondary in this. It is very possible that the prime intent is actually more Socialist dependency on the government as to make up for the increased tax payments, those other areas mentioned above that will suffer can be made up by other Socialist programs, all the help the children, mind you.

This is a vicious circle with no end in sight now that the Dictatorial Democrats hold all the cards and can shove whatever Soviet style program down our throats they wish. It didn’t work in Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia, Communist China, Cuba or Viet Nam and it is doubtful it will work in the Union of Socialist States of America either.

Don’t be fooled by sneaker wearing little mousy Senators as their hearts bleed all over on how they need to help out the less privileged. The real goal is take from the citizens and to give out what government says you should receive, as dictated by aging holdover hippies and their minions.

This is NOT American liberty as envisioned by our founding fathers, but is rather the vision of Karl Marx, the father of modern Communism.

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Yes, Val Kilmer, veteran actor apparently with a size 54-hat size, over impressed with himself after being in the movies “Tombstone,” “Top Gun” and “Batman Forever,” can kiss this Viet Nam Veteran’s rosy red ass!

I apologize for my profanity to you readers, but not to Kilmer. Sometimes profanity is appropriate and in this regard to Val Kilmer, it is one. He is a punk-assed, pampered, spoiled rotten slime ball.

I am sure many may be dismayed by my expressions against this asshat, after so many have enjoyed his performances in the make believe movies he appears in, but read on and I’ll explain why I say this and why I’ll never pay to go see another movie with this jerk in it.

The New Mexico Independent ran a story late last month on the likelihood of Kilmer running for the office of governor of New Mexico in 2010.

Although Kilmer was born and raised in California the Independent refers to him as “One of New Mexico’s most famous residents.” Fair enough as I assume he has taken up residence in the state of his paternal grandfather.

Kilmer has dropped strong hints that Governor Bill Richardson endorses him in the run, should he make it.

The Independent links to an interview of Kilmer by Chuck Klosterman for Esquire, published in July 2005.

This exchange ought to rile any honest hearted American, especially my fellow Viet Nam Veterans. You just have to read it for yourself.

(Klosterman) “You mean you think you literally had the same experience as Doc Holliday?”

(Kilmer) “Oh, sure. It's not like I believed that I shot somebody, but I absolutely know what it feels like to pull the trigger and take someone's life.

(Klosterman) “You understand how it feels to shoot someone as much as a person who has actually committed a murder?”

(Kilmer) “I understand it more. It's an actor's job. A guy who's lived through the horror of Vietnam has not spent his life preparing his mind for it. He's some punk. Most guys were borderline criminal or poor, and that's why they got sent to Vietnam. It was all the poor, wretched kids who got beat up by their dads, guys who didn't get on the football team, couldn't finagle a scholarship. They didn't have the emotional equipment to handle that experience. But this is what an actor trains to do. I can more effectively represent that kid in Vietnam than a guy who was there.”

Val Kilmer, this 60 year old gray haired Viet Nam Vet, who came from a middle class background, graduated High School, never been arrested or come close to committing a crime, enlisted in the United States Army. I also voluntarily extended my tour and have never regretted serving my country, unlike you punk ass pansy liberal millionaires who think a role in fantasy land makes you more aware of the sacrifices Veterans have made since our country was founded than we are.

The worst part of Viet Nam was coming back to “the World” and meeting shitheads like Val Kilmer, who fell for every lie told by John 'F'in Kerry, Ramsey Clark, Hanoi Jane Fonda and all the other Communist lackey's parading through the streets and bad mouthing my country.

What has Kilmer ever done for America besides rake in millions of dollars acting as if he were a brave soul, not standing up for our country?

Kabuki Village blog site expresses similar outrage towards Kilmer in an open letter.

Kilmer, I have wiped better than you off the bottom of my shoe in the front yard. No apology can be accepted for this gross slander of Viet Nam Veterans by yet another piece of shit Hollywood Liberal slime ball.

I will never spend a dime to see another one of your movies and although I live far away from New Mexico, will oppose your candidacy for governor or any other elected office from afar.

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

The federal government of the United States of America is a truly remarkable creation. Outlined and defined within The Constitution, the basis of ALL law in our nation, our Founding Fathers bestowed upon us a system by which we may govern ourselves, at the same time preventing abuse of power by the officials we elect, such that a:

[...] government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. --Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address, 19 Nov 1863

In school we learn (and hear parroted throughout our lives) that this system is comprised of three branches: A legislative branch to create the law [Article I], an executive branch to administer the law [Article II], and a judicial branch to interpret the law [Article III]. Each has enumerated duties imposed upon it by the Constitution, as well as restrictions upon those duties to protect individual and State rights.

What is routinely omitted and blatantly ignored is the existence of a fourth branch, one that stands independent of but also serves as the dynamic force driving and supporting the others: We The People - outlined within the Constitution in the "forgotten" Article IV, as pertains to the State(s) and the citizens of that State(s). This is the "blood and guts" of what Lincoln was attempting to convey in the famous Gettysburg Address.

We The People. How can this be so easily ignored? Written off? Forgotten? Trampled in the dust?

~~~Quite simply, really, with the systematic usurpation of power by an out-of-control polity perpetuated over generations, insidiously so as not to raise suspicion, seductively offered as being in the interests of "the general welfare," in plain sight and through suppression of dissension, facilitated by greed and enforced ignorance of the populace.~~~

One of the most powerful and moving declarations I have ever encountered may be found in one of those most cherished documents of our nation, evoking an almost visceral reaction:

WE, the PEOPLE of the UNITEDSTATES, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Altogether, the Constitution is 440 words on a piece of paper. Yet, somehow, these first 52 carry the most power, have the most effect, stir the most emotion. They declare our sovereignty, state our purpose, provide us with a mission: Secure the blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity; guarantee our rights and freedoms. It demandsthe protection of those liberties so they may be passed on to our children and our children's children. A legacy more valuable than gold or diamonds, it is truly priceless; however, it can be easily stolen with lack of diligence in its defense.

The most essential liberties are embodied within The Bill of Rights, Amendments I through X of the Constitution, safeguarding the rights of individuals and of the States against abuse by the federal government.

Congress of the United States begun and held at the City of New-York, on Wednesday the fourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine.

THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.

RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, two thirds of both Houses concurring, that the following Articles be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States, as amendments to the Constitution of the United States, all, or any of which Articles, when ratified by three fourths of the said Legislatures, to be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of the said Constitution; viz.

ARTICLES in addition to, and Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, proposed by Congress, and ratified by the Legislatures of the several States, pursuant to the fifth Article of the original Constitution.

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment II

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Amendment III

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Amendment V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Amendment VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

Amendment VII

In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

What do these mean? What do they REALLY mean, when special interests are not pushing and pulling, prodding and poking, twisting and turning to the benefit of a minority against the majority? While it is true that the majority must monitor itself to prevent stomping on the rights of the minority, the reverse is also true. Either would be tyranny. That which must be done, must be done for the benefit of all, with the intention of preserving liberty - not squashing it.

In a way, it is like Mr. Spock always tells Captain Kirk: The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.... or the one.

Deliberately curtailing the inherent rights of society as a whole, in an effort to push an unpopular agenda and force acceptance of traditionally unacceptable behavior, is not protecting liberties. It is disregarding them out of hand, assailing them, assassinating them, then burying them in an unmarked grave.

This is a massive and weighty subject. Considering time and space restraints, following is my analysis of one portion of the First Amendment only; the remaining aspects of this amendment and others will be probed further, at a later date.

Perhaps the thorniest issue here is that first addressed in the text. Often touted as "separation of church and state" and known as the "Establishment Clause," in modern practice, this is interpreted as meaning government can neither establish a state religion nor allow religious elements to cross over into secular facets of the public realm. However, in an entirely grammatical sense, this application is patently incorrect; if we break the sentence down, adhering to grammatical continuity, we see:

Well... just take a look at that. Every noun has its own verb (action). Proper grammar insists upon continuity of structure. Applying rules of grammar:

Congress shall make no law respecting (regarding/related to/in honor of) a religious establishment (i.e., church or other religious entity). Congress shall make no law regarding anything religious. Period. No laws about formation of a state religion, no laws about prohibiting practice of religion (or not practicing if one so chooses), no laws about removing Ten Commandments from public buildings, no laws about prayer in school or at public events, no laws at all about any of it. Legislating school prayer is a violation of the Establishment Clause. Legislating removal of religious adornments in public venues is a violation of the Establishment Clause. They have no right to do so, yet they have done exactly that, seizing the rights of any and all attempting to exercise their religion, the religious majority, in favor of the irreligious minority.

Words from Heroes To Heroes. Do No Harm, Especially to Yourself

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Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never, in nothing, great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. - Winston Churchill

“A veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to The 'United States of America', for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'” (Author unknown)

---------------------------------

I stood up, I showed up, I stepped forward.
I raised my right hand, I stood in the gap, I walked in the fire. I did not run, I did not hide, I did not dodge, I did not evade.

Consequently...

I have nothing to prove, no one to convince, those who matter, already know. Those who don't, never will.
(Author Unknown)

African-Americans, are you tired of being short-changed by the Democrats you keep voting for? Fed up with their empty promises while you stay poor? Can’t understand why your lives never improve? You will find answers at the National Black Republican Association